Government Affairs Resource Toolbox

SEMA News - May 2010

SEMA places a wealth of legislative/regulatory information at your fingertips to help your business succeed. All of the material can be accessed through the government affairs page on the SEMA website. The legislative and regulatory materials are also posted on the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website as a way to involve your customers, the enthusiast community. Here are highlights:

Member Resources

Federal Regulation of Aftermarket Parts: Comprehensive guide on how motor-vehicle parts are regulated by the federal government. It is a must-read document for every SEMA member. The guide is generally presented in a Q&A format, with links to online resources for more information. Topics include an overview of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, emissions standards (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and California) and special sections on lighting equipment, wheels and tires and fuel economy.

SEMA Black Book: A step-by-step guide for obtaining an Executive Order (E.O.) from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). A CARB E.O. is required for the sale of applicable emissions-related parts and systems within California. It is also recognized by the EPA as a reasonable basis for demonstrating compliance with the Clean Air Act in all 50 states.

Small-Business Issues: Provides links to federal and state government resources that deal with legislative and regulatory issues of daily relevance, such as taxes, antitrust enforcement, warranties, employment issues, government procurement, environment and small-business financing mechanisms.

Intellectual Property Rights Guide: Details ways to protect the ideas, names, logos and inventions of your company, which are valuable property and may be legally protected for your exclusive use. The materials in this section will familiarize you with the basics on the topics covered so that you may take advantage of the law on patents, trademarks and copyrights.

Guide to Land-Use Policies and Off-Road Recreation: Contains information on major federal laws and regulations that affect land use by off-road vehicles as well as a list of government agencies managing federal lands; a list of major interest groups involved in land-use issues; and SEMA’s position on regulating motorized recreation on federal lands.

Enthusiast Resources

The SEMA Action Network (SAN) is the industry’s outreach to the hobbyist community, your customers. It is a nationwide partnership of car clubs, individuals and SEMA members who work together to promote industry-friendly laws and regulations.

The SAN website, contains legislative information on issues that have an impact on enthusiasts as well as solutions to keep your products in the marketplace. Updated frequently, the website has legislative news from all 50 states and Canada. In addition, the website provides access to SAN legislative action alerts, along with a monthly newsletter, Driving Force. Once on SEMASAN.com, enthusiasts can easily join SAN and begin to collectively help protect the hobby. Here are a few SAN website highlights: